CAPE TOWN, April 2: United Cricket Board of South Africa chief executive Gerald Majola won widespread backing on Tuesday after earlier accusations that the UCBSA was failing to press forward fast enough with fundamental changes to the sport.

Majola had come under fire from Gauteng Cricket Board chairman Dr Mtutuzeli Nyoka in a South African newspaper last week for not introducing enough black players into the national team.

He argued Majola and the UCBSA were guilty of “pure idiocy” in supporting a report on the transformation within cricket in South Africa.

But domestic chiefs have sided with Majola.

“We have read with utter dismay the remarks attributed to Dr M. Nyoka, Chairman of the Gauteng Cricket Board,” the press statement, supported by the ten other provincial chiefs, read.

“We have the greatest faith in Gerald Majola... He has taken on a difficult task and has succeeded admirably. He deserves no petty criticisms from anyone.”

“How can anyone say transformation has been a success when 80 percent of the SA population is represented by one player in the national squad,” Nyoka said in the Business Day Thursday.

“Gerald Majola must understand that his appointment was an affirmative action one and others should be getting the same opportunities as him if transformation is going to work.”

South Africa’s Test selectors, while picking teams on merit, have been instructed to include at least one player of colour. Provincial teams must include at least three.—Reuters